Advent Calender of Cards Day 24

I made it!!! 24 days in a row for Christmas cards!! Are you proud of me?
I made this cute little wreath with the small star punch and a few buttons... The glitter in the middle of the buttons didn't really turn out how I want but I'm really happy with the rest of the card.
Hope you all have a great Christmas eve and that the kids leave out lots of yummy scotch for "Santa" :)
Stamps: Short & Sweet
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: Kraft, Old Olive, Real Red, I Wish SS Kit
Accessories: Button Latte & Playground Designer Buttons, Red Gingham Ribbon
Punches: Small Star Punch, Word Window Punch

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 23

I know that isn't a Christmas Card but it was just too cute not to share... Jack has been spending a bit of time in his jolly jumper lately, and I took some photos of him last time. Anyway, on to the real reason you're here:
Now I know it sounds horrible but the person I'm giving it to knows that if I were nice to her the world would end and since nobody likes an apocalypse at Christmas I really had no choice...
I really love this card and I'm thinking about finding a way to make it nice enough for the general population (like ho-ho-hope you have a great Christmas but with less individual alphabet stamps) so that I can use it next year. Since I've made the buttons myself (5 layer button technique - love these so have to make more!) the only thing I'd have to substitute to make it economical would be the clip.
Anyway, back tomorrow with one last card, thanks for hanging in there with my Advent Calender of Cards (I don't care if anyone read it, I'm just impressed that I managed to post a card a day for this long!) and after Christmas we'll return to our regularly scheduled programming :D
Stamps: Lovely Letters & Short Order Alphabets
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss
Cardstock: Kraft, Urban Garden DSP, Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White
Accessories: Clips Assortment, Linen Thread, Crystal Effects, Anywhere Glue Stick
Punches: Small Star Punch

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 22

Another card that Nikita helped me design. I love this design, so simple, and you could easily pump out millions from 1 sheet of DSP.
On a side note, I'm watching The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button as I write this, has anyone else seen it? I know it's not exactly new so I'm probably the last one to see it, but I'm really enjoying it! Such a sweet story.
Stamps: Best Yet, Season of Joy
Ink: Old Olive, Real Red
Cardstock:Whisper White, Kraft, Old Olive, I Wish SS Kit
Punches: Scallop & Large Oval Punches

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 21

This is one of the cards I made on my cardmaking afternoon with Nikita. We had so much fun that she has asked me to organise a day with her mum that she come and craft with me again, I can't wait!
Nikita helped me design this one and we made one each, it's a very simple design, just a piece of DSP from the I Wish SS Kit and some diecuts.

Cardstock:Kraft Cardstock, I Wish SS Kit


Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 20

I've been wanting to stamp straight onto Kraft Cardstock as my focal piece for a while now and I was excited to be able to do it on this card. If the greeting looks slightly pink that's because I opened up my Pink Passion inkpad instead of my Real Red and inked up my stamp and stamped without paying attention, it looks pretty red IRL thank goodness but next time I have to read the ink colour and not take for granted that I know where it lives in my ink caddy...
Stamps: Season of Joy
Ink: Pink Passion, Old Olive
Cardstock: Kraft, I Wish SS Kit, Old Olive

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 19

I call this one "Rudolph the Red Nosed Teddy Bear". I was fortunate enough to be able to get my hands on this great SU! exclusive die from the US and this is the first thing I made. As soon as I realised that his nose could be cut seperately I decided that he needed a red nose and antlers like a build-a-bear reindeer.
We don't know what dies will be available when SU! bring the bigshot to Australia but I'm really hoping they bring these build-a-bear ones, they're so cute and the possibilities are endless!
Stamps: Season of Joy
Ink: Riding Hood Red
Cardstock: Bella Rose DSP, I Wish SS Kit, Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Riding Hood Red
Punches: Corner Rounder Punch, 1 3/8" Square Punch
Bigshot: Bigz Bear, Beary Girl & Scribbles Swirls Sizzlets

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 18

I've been determined to use some non-Christmas DSP for Christmas Cards, I think we get so caught up this time of year in having everything "Christmassy" that we forget about what we already own that still suits the season, and I figured a go at a Tri-Fold Card is perfect to try it out, so on this card I have used Christmas coloured DSP from Raspberry Tart, Good Morning Sunshine and Washington Apple.
Here's a shot of the card open:

Stamps: Season of Joy
Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip Marker
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Kraft, Real Red, Good Morning Sunshine DSP, Raspberry Tart DSP, Washington Apple DSP
Accessories: Riding Hood Red Taffeta

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 17

A little rudolph card I made using the Topnote Die. This card is going to Charlotte's pre-school teachers as well as our playgroup leader (who has no small children of her own she just keeps running it out of the kindness of her heart) I was inspired by Sam Post's Card as well as Amy Manhart's Topnote box and I kind of just took the elements I loved from each to make the card I wanted. Bigshot dies will easily cut through 2 layers of cardstock, the only thing was that the perferations around the edge of the topnote only cut through the first layer fully so I just made sure that the side i put face down into the die was the side i wanted for the front of my card.
I have included a list of punches used and I think it's fairly self explanatory but if anyone wants specific info let me know as I'm more than happy to share how I made this card with you.
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa
Accessories: Dazzling Diamond Glitter, White Gel Pen
Punches: Wide & Large Oval Punches, 1 3/4", 1" & 3/4" Circle Punches, Corner Rounder Punch
Bigshot: Topnote Die, Divine Swirl Cuttlebug Folder

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 16

I know I've said it before about other cards, but out of my favourites from the 35 for $35 class these are up there near the top of my list!
Did you know you could get 48 of this style card out of a single simply scrappin kit and still have some DSP and all the diecuts left over! All you need to add is some kraft bases and scrap cardstock for the punchies.
These are the last 3 cards from the class, the rest will be cards I've made just for the fun of it.
Stamps: Season of joy
Ink: Chocolate Chip, real red, old olive
Cardstock: Kraft, I Wish SS Kit
Punches: Scallop & large oval Punches, Scallop Edge Punch

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 15

Stamps: Season of Joy, Best Yet
Ink: Old Olive, Real Red
Cardstock: Kraft, I Wish SS Kit
Accessories: Gold Brads, White Taffeta
Punches: Scallop Square Punch, Scallop & Large Oval Punches

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 14

Get it??? haha!
I stole this idea from Andrea Walford's blog because as soon as I saw her sister Sophia's card I knew my friend Sarah would love it! Sarah is the sort of person that when her husband turned 43 she got on the computer, found a clip art tree and put 40 of them on a card front in publisher so that the card would be Forty Tree... So this card is right up her alley!
I made some changes from Sophia's card because I wanted the card to show the Australian side of the globe and I also don't have any bigshot letters so I had to hand write the greeting... I have to apologise to my Tasmanian, Kiwi, Japanese and Polynesian friends for just drawing in their islands, but there were just too many of them and too small to cut out!
Anyway, have a great day! only 11 more sleeps til the fat guy in red comes a knockin'!
Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, Pacific Point, Night of Navy, Garden Green (& Marker), Old Olive (& Marker)
Cardstock: Kraft, Night of Navy, Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, Garden Green, Whisper White, Real Red
Accessories: 3/4" Spotted Grosgrain
Tools: Circle Scissor Plus, Paper Snips
Punches: 3/4", 1 1/4", 1 3/8" & Scallop Circle Punches

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 13

Promised you something different!! I made the ribbon with some of the 1 3/4" Striped Grosgrain from the spring mini and then just stitched with some linen thread a running stitch along one edge, pulled the ribbon tight and knotted it so that the ribbon formed a flower. Added a star brad to the middle and then adjusted the flower so the edges of the ribbon sat neatly. The rest of the card is pretty self explanatory.
Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Season of Joy
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Old Olive
Cardstock: Kraft
Accessories: 1 3/4" Striped Grosgrain, Chocolate Chip DS Grosgrain, Star Designer Brad

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 12

3 more of my 35 for $35 class cards... I'll give you a different card tomorrow (very different I promise, no I wish kit to be seen anywhere!) and then we only have about 2 more days worth of these cards left. I'm working on a card I'll show you in a few days, such a fun little card, perfect for someone with a quirky sense of humour!
Stamps: Best Yet, Season of Joy
Ink: Real Red, Old Olive
Cardstock: Kraft, I Wish SS Kit
Accessories: Real Red & Old Olive 5/8" Grosgrain, Old Olive 1/4" Grosgrain
Punches: Large & Scallop Oval Punches

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 11

Another one of my favourite sets from the 35 for $35 class. Baroque Motifs is technically not a Christmas set but pair it with some Christmassy colours and it becomes a great Christmas set. It is the 1 set I think all stampers should have in their collection, it's just so versatile, I've used it on sympathy cards and wedding cards and everything in between.
Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Best Yet
Ink: Real Red, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: Kraft, I Wish SS Kit
Punches: Scallop Oval, Large Oval

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 10

Back to the 35 for $35 cards again, (I promise only a few more days of these and then we'll have some more variety in the cards I'll show) I love the simplicity of these... Not that the class was anything but simple cards... When you do 35 cards in a few hours you don't want fiddly lol
Stamps: Best Yet
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: I Wish SS Kit, Kraft

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 9 - Courtesy of Nikita

My friend Nikita came over after school last Friday to do some scrapbooking with me and when I mentioned that I was going to make some Christmas cards since I desperately need more made she asked if she could join in. Nikita is 11 and loves scrapbooking but this is the first time she had ever made cards. After we finished when she was showing me everything she'd made (I'd had to stop making cards to feed Jack but she kept going) I mentioned how much I loved this card she had made and she asked for a pen, then wrote in the card and gave it to us as our card. How nice is that? It's also special because it's the first Christmas card of the season for us.
Here's a pic of Nikita (or Keeeetah as Charlotte says) making one of her cards.
Thanks for stopping by, have a great day!
Stamps: Season of Joy
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive
Cardstock: I Wish SS Kit, Kraft, Whisper White


Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 8

3 more simple christmas cards from my 35 for $35 class... Tomorrow for the advent calender we will have a break from this series of cards and I'll show you a special Christmas card made by a good friend of mine.
Stamps: Season of Joy, Happy Everything, Baroque Motifs, Sincere Salutations
Ink: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: I Wish SS Kit, Kraft
Accessories: Chocolate Chip 1/4" Grosgrain, Real Red 1/4" Grosgrain, Chocolate Chip 5/8" Grosgrain

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 7

3 more from my 35 for $35... I love how plain these ones are... So simple, but the textured cardstock (not so visible in the photo) keeps them from being too plain if you know what i mean...
Stamps: Best Yet
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: I Wish SS Kit, Kraft
Accessories: Old Olive 1/4" Grosgrain, Chocolate Chip 1/4" Grosgrain

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould